View report page

27
REPORT OF THE WORK OF THE
SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE.
Arranged According to the Suggestions made by the Board
of Education, December, 1920.
1. STAFF.
The Staff consists of the School Medical Officer, who is also
Medical Officer of Health, two Assistant School Doctors, a wholetime
Dentist, a part-time Ophthalmic Surgeon, five School Nurses and
a Dentist's Assistant.
2. CO-ORDINATION.
Co-ordination of the work of the School Medical Service with that of
other health services is quite satisfactory.
The offices of School Medical Officer and Medical Officer of Health
are held by the same person; the services of the School Nurses and
Health Visitors are interchangeable, and when necessity arises the
services of both staffs are utilised wholly for Public Health or School
work.
The services of the School Dentist and the Ophthalmic Surgeon are
made use of for the treatment of children under 5 years of age and for
Expectant or Nursing Mothers.
The Assistant School Medical Officers carry out Bacteriological
Examinations for Public Health or School purposes, and make enquiries
at the schools when epidemics affecting school children arise.
The School Medical Officer is Chairman of the Executive Committee
of the Voluntary Child Welfare Association.
The work of this Society is carried out in close association with that
undertaken by the District Council whose members form a majority of
the Education Committee.
One of the Assistant School Medical Officers has acted as Physician
to the Municipal Child Welfare Centre, and arrangements have been
made for the appointment of an Assistant Medical Officer whose duties
will embrace School Medical, Public Health and Child Welfare work.
There are no Nursery Schools in the Area. The parents of
Debilitated Children are advised by the Health Visitors and School
Nurses to seek advice from their family doctors. Failing this they are
advised to attend one or other of the Child Welfare Centres, or to call
on the Medical Officer of Health who deals with them under the Milk
(Mothers and Children) Order, 1918, or procures for them letters for
the Dispensary or Hospital.